Enlarged pores are pores on the skin that are larger than average. While many pores on the skin are small enough to be nearly invisible to the naked eye, enlarged pores are more noticeable. Many people who are beauty-conscious attempt to keep the size of their pores small so as to have smoother-looking skin. For the most part, people are concerned about enlarged pores on the face, not other parts of the body.
There are a few ways that pores can become enlarged. Very often, enlarged pores are the result of the natural aging process. However, pores can also become enlarged if dead skin cells are allowed to build up inside of them. The presence of the dead skin cells will stretch the pores, causing them to become bigger. Pores can also be enlarged if they become infected and the resulting pimple is squeezed before it is ready to be cleared out.
There are numerous skin care products and facial treatments that are intended to shrink the size of pores or to reduce the appearance of large pores. Estheticians are trained to deal with many different types of skin conditions. If you want to reduce the size of your pores, you can book a facial at a spa. Be sure to tell your esthetician that you are specifically concerned with your pores and ask for a treatment that will reduce their size. Some people go as far as using microdermabrasion or laser treatments to reduce the size of their pores.
There are many less drastic and more affordable methods of treating enlarged pores. If the key problem is a buildup of dead skin cells in the pores, then a good exfoliant will help. Most skin care lines, from the most affordable to the most expensive, offer an exfoliant of one kind or another. While exfoliating your skin, be sure not to rub too hard or you will run the risk of irritating your skin and creating other problems. Also, be sure not to use exfoliants or scrubs too often.
The facial area that usually has the most number of enlarged pores is the nose. For this reason, there are a few beauty products that target this area in particular. One of the most popular products is the nose strip. These strips are applied to the nose when they are wet, and are allowed to harden by air drying. When these strips are removed, they pull dead skin cells and dirt out of the pores.